Is it possible to get a residency without going through match?

[Gracey103]

I know someone who is saying that he is going on residency interviews next week because he will be finishing med school fall 2006 and will be starting his residency right after that. I was just wondering if this is possible since I know that all 4th years go through match. Also I was wondering if it is possible to finish med school a half year early? Everything about this person has been out of the ordinary, from getting into med school to this. Some insight please.

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[angel80]

From what I understand, U.S. Allopathic seniors are not allowed to accept a pre-match (a spot before match), but can get a spot outside of the match in the post-match scramble or after the match (these are the spots that don't fill in the match). Foreign medical grads, and Osteopathic students applying for Allopathic residency are not required to go through the match. As far as finishing in the middle of the year, I've known a couple people who did this (one went on maternity leave, the other on medical leave, so their graduation was delayed). Even though they finished in December, they had to wait for the Match in March. I know some people in Caribbean schools finish at odd times of the year. Since they are foreign medical grads, they don't need to go through the match, and can just apply for a position directly with the program.

 

[Gracey103]

He is in a U.S. allopathic school and is currently a third year trying to finish a half year early and start residency right after. He did not go through match yet. He is supposedly going on interviews right now. I've had suspicions about him even being in med school...

 

[Gracey103]

bump

 

[sscooterguy]

Although this sounds implausible, it is not impossible. I know of one situation in which a student got into residency without the match. The said student did not match, and refused to scramble because his fiance matched and he did not want to go into another field. He planned on a year of research when another program got approval for funding for another residency spot (after the match and before the residency year started). He heard of the opening through the chair of his department, and went out and interviewed immediately. There were several candidates, but he eventually got it.
So it is possible, however very very improbabible, especially by the way that you outlined it...with the person you mentioned starting half way through the year? ACGME would probably have an issue with that person meeting requirements, unless their residency was also extended half a year. In any case, sounds fishy.

sscooterguy

 

[anon-y-mouse]

what about graduating early? is that even possible? something is up with this fellow! go to the med school's email directory and plug his name in, and see if you can verify his attendance! rat him out!

 

[Gracey103]

what about graduating early? is that even possible? something is up with this fellow! go to the med school's email directory and plug his name in, and see if you can verify his attendance! rat him out!

The funny thing is, I went to that school to interview and asked around to see if anyone knew him and no one did so I went to the admissions office and asked if this person was a student there and they didn't have him in the directory! Its so wierd... hes my cousin...

 

[anon-y-mouse]

The funny thing is, I went to that school to interview and asked around to see if anyone knew him and no one did so I went to the admissions office and asked if this person was a student there and they didn't have him in the directory! Its so wierd... hes my cousin...

Do his parents allege he's a medical student there too? What's the full story?

http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/family/mark_hacking/3.html

 

[Gracey103]

I get all of my information through my mom cuz she talks to my aunt (her son). Our whole family thinks hes in med school. His parents think hes the greatest thing on earth. I never questioned it until I started applying and getting to know the process a little bit better. Now everything that he said sounds fishy...Took medical school classes while in undergrad so that he would be able to skip 1st year and start as a second year med student...Started 1st semester med school doing an internship at a hosptial instead of taking classes because apparently the professor supposedly teaching the class couldn't do it....

 

[anon-y-mouse]

I get all of my information through my mom cuz she talks to my aunt (her son). Our whole family thinks hes in med school. His parents think hes the greatest thing on earth. I never questioned it until I started applying and getting to know the process a little bit better. Now everything that he said sounds fishy...Took medical school classes while in undergrad so that he would be able to skip 1st year and start as a second year med student...Started 1st semester med school doing an internship at a hosptial instead of taking classes because apparently the professor supposedly teaching the class couldn't do it....

scanda!l! check to see if he's on facebook. does your mom know that this is fishy? the more you say, the less likely it is! maybe he's in the caribbean? who knows. what have your interactions with this guy been? surely if you interviewed at that same school, you'd want to have asked for him... or asked to see him there...

 

[oudoc08]

The funny thing is, I went to that school to interview and asked around to see if anyone knew him and no one did so I went to the admissions office and asked if this person was a student there and they didn't have him in the directory! Its so wierd... hes my cousin...

Is there a chiropractic school around the area? Alot of those guys say they're in "medical school" and their semi-clueless familiy members unwittingly propogate the stretch of the truth. Or otherwise, maybe he/she is really in dental or pharmacy school which is affiliated with that particular college. Each of those specialties can do "residencies", and again, the family members might call it "medical school".

 

[Gracey103]

No he definately says hes in med school...wants to be a neurosurgeon.. I see him once in a while during school breaks. When i went to his school to interview i called him to see if he would be there but he just happen to have an interview in boston that weekend so i didn't see him. Its not like i can just confront him and be like.."I searched the directory for you and didn't find you there"..well i guess i can...

 

[anon-y-mouse]

No he definately says hes in med school...wants to be a neurosurgeon.. I see him once in a while during school breaks. When i went to his school to interview i called him to see if he would be there but he just happen to have an interview in boston that weekend so i didn't see him. Its not like i can just confront him and be like.."I searched the directory for you and didn't find you there"..well i guess i can...

google his name and find out everything you can!

 

[freakiecookie]

hahaha that's hilarious..

 

[efex101]

he is full of excrement me thinks....if the office has NO record of him then there is your answer.

 

[DoctorFunk]

So this is what facilities management employees tell their parents they're doing...

 

[BeatArmy]

what about graduating early? is that even possible? something is up with this fellow! go to the med school's email directory and plug his name in, and see if you can verify his attendance! rat him out!

It definitely sounds like this guy is telling some fibs. The question is how big the fibs are. Maybe he's in school and BSing the rest. If it really is ALL made up, I'd be very careful. People that create these very elaborate lies for years can become quite desperate when they are in danger of being found out. Remember the guy a couple years ago that killed his wife and stuck her in a mattress the week before they were supposed to move to UNC so that he could start med school. Turns out he had never applied to any schools or taken the MCAT or anything.

I'm not suggesting your cousin is homicidal. In fact I'd be more concerned about him hurting himself. It would require some serious issues to lie about your whole life to your family for many years. He's not just going to laugh and say, "you're right. You got me." It is difficult to predict how he might respond.

 

[Law2Doc]

No he definately says hes in med school...wants to be a neurosurgeon.. I see him once in a while during school breaks. When i went to his school to interview i called him to see if he would be there but he just happen to have an interview in boston that weekend so i didn't see him. Its not like i can just confront him and be like.."I searched the directory for you and didn't find you there"..well i guess i can...

Look at the bright side. If med school doesn't go well, you can always "graduate early" too and join him in private practice. Your family will be so proud.

 

[SoCuteMD]

Very few (if any) med schools give credit for any undergrad work. I know that UNC will not allow you to enroll in any of the med school classes unless you are a medical student. I would think it would be similar at other schools, otherwise there would be tons of posts on the boards that read, "Should I take gross anatomy at my undergrad institution's medical school to boost my chances." Every school that I am familiar with (which is a VERY limited sample) won't allow you to graduate early, either. You can take vacation until the end of 4th year if you have completed the requirements (which many people do pretty early in the year), but you will NOT receive your degree until the graduation. A friend of mine spent 4 months travelling up and down the East Coast to see family with his wife since he had completed his requirements and only had to take a few days off to interview (he was AOA and doing family practice!), but he didn't get the MD degree (and he wasn't able to use it) until May.

As far as jumping into a neurosurgery residency mid-year, I dunno but I doubt it. Neurosurg is ultra-competitive, but IIRC there is a lot of attrition, so there might be spots open mid-year.

 

[sakura181]

Took medical school classes while in undergrad so that he would be able to skip 1st year and start as a second year med student...Started 1st semester med school doing an internship at a hosptial instead of taking classes because apparently the professor supposedly teaching the class couldn't do it....

Hmm, here's my hypothesis: Maybe this guy did a postbacc/SMP course after graduation but was too ashamed of not getting into med school that he fibbed and pretended the postbacc/SMP program was MS1. It could be that after the course he decided to take time off before applying and worked at a hospital, in hopes of getting clinical experience and strengthening his application. And perhaps the interviews he's going to now are not for residency but for medical school admissions.

Or it could be that his mom knows very little about this process and takes what he tells her about his activities and runs them through the proud/happiness filter in her head before spouting out something that makes sense in her mind and allows her to show off her son. I definitely know that my parents tell their friends things that are completely different from what I actually do, either because it would take too much time to explain what it really is or they just don't get it. Pride is also a big issue for some parents, especially when it comes to winning the bragging rights of "the person with the smartest kid in our extended family."

 

[azzarah]

Maybe he has a different last name. I know someone in my class changed last names for no apparent reason before starting med school.